Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-05-02
Blind Boone.

alasl the comments of the press can al
ways be relied upon as evidence of the
excellence of an entertainment, and it
is doubtful if many attended with san
guine expectations. Those who did
not, had pleasant surprise in store
for them, for no musical performance
here has ever been more satisfactory
In writing of this concert, however,
one feels that he is in realm where
the ordinary methods of criticism fail.
OF Blind Boone's playing we can say it
was wonderful, the technique perfect,
the execution brilliant, clear and deli
cate and the recital as whole thoroughly
enjoyable from a musical standpoint.
But of the almost supernatural power
which is back of all this, the strange
unusual conditions which in the dark
ened chambers of bis soul evolve the
possibilities which we see developed in
Boone, nothing can be said which in
any way explains the phenomenon.
Those who have heard Blind Tom,
naturally compare these, the only two
prodigies of the kind that have ever
lived.
Blind Tom, q full blooded negro,
born slave and almost imbecile, with
the superhuman power of reproducing
after single hearing the most elabor-
ate and difficult musical compositions
and of initiating so perfectly on the
piano any sound verglng on the musi-
cal, be it bagpipe, handorgan or
banjo, that one not seeing would never
know that the sound was any other
than that produced by the special in
strument itself, has always been one of
the wonders of the age. In Blind
Boone the same marvellous gift is man
ifest, though in some ways degree
less ineomprehensible from the fact
that in him the intellect is active. and
also from tho fact that Blind Tom
never received any musical instruction,
while Boone has been to some extent
unsteady educated. This will explain
why Boone's playing, in Interpretation
and execution. is more satisfactory than
Blind Toms. | may also explain why
his limitations are less perfect. In both
there is external evidence of a peculiar
nervous condition, and IN this perhaps,
may be found the only possible explain
alton of their powers. In Blind Tom
the diseased nervous state manifests
itself in violenttwitching of hands, arms
and face exceedingly painful to see,
but when seated at the piano, it is as if
peace had been spoken over troubled
waters, the motions cease and entire
repose falls upon him. With Boone
the nervousness is exhibited in per-
petual swaying of the whole body and
and these movements increased in vio-
lence while he is playing. Although
somewhat distressing at first. one soon
forgets it in the pleasure of listening.
In the entertainment the other night
the audience was delighted with his ex-
ecution of Listz'' ''Triumphal March,
Gottschalk's Last Hope and other
selections of equal artistic merit.
Boone also played several compositions
of his own, among which the diserip-
ton of the storm at Marshfeld, Mis-
souri, seemed most to delight the audi
ence. The coming of the storm, with
the pealing and crashing of the thunder
the rising of the wind, the sudden
gusts of rain were wonderfully repre-
sented'' indeed with closed eyes one
must believe that it was a veritable
conflict of the. elements. The most
astonishing exhibition of his remark
able perception of musical tones and
intervals, was his correct reading Of
single notes, chords, discords and runs
as they were struck on the piano, Be-
fore the notes were fairly struck he
would call them off with tightening
rapidity and in no instance was there
the mistake of single note. He also
played with perfect exactness, as it was
played for him, mistakes and all, a
composition of Emery's Am Mere
after single hearing. HIS imitation
on the piano of the old darkey's frantic
efforts to scrape out jig on fiddle
that obstinately refused to stay in tune,
was very amusing, as were his init